9 LOCAL ARTISTS AMONG TOP TALENT AT MOUNT DORA ARTS FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND

Perhaps it's something in the water.  The Mount Dora area is a haven for individuals oozing with exceptional creative talent.  This year, nine extraordinarily gifted local artists will be exhibiting and selling their work at the Mount Dora Arts Festival.  The event is ranked seventh in the U.S. among art festivals, so just being accepted by the jury is no easy feat for artists.

Here's a list of the local stand-out artists you won't want to miss if you're headed to the festival on February 3 and 4:

---

LAUREN GRAHAM CUNNINGHAM
Cunningham's realistic  oil paintings have graced the festival for years.  The canvases highlight her developed sense of shadow, light and perspective. On occasion, the Mount Dora resident and South Carolina native treats viewers to a refined and subtle surrealism.  Read more about Cunningham.  (Booth #D061, Donnelly Street between 4th & 5th Avenues)

---

LAURA VARICH
One of the more contemporary painters in the festival, Varich is a master of abstract composition and color.  The California native and Mount Dora resident is able to create large, bold landscapes and florals that command the viewer's attention, yet still evoke a sense of calmness. ​(Booth #D104, Donnelly Street between 4th & 5th Avenues)

---

DEBORAH BARNES
This Mount Dora artist has exhibited at top art festivals across the U.S. for decades.   Her contemporary jewelry designs are easily recognizable by collectors of artisan jewelry.   Barnes' timeless pieces are fabricated  using sterling silver, natural stones and pearls.  (Booth # D067, on Donnelly Street)

---

JANE SLIVKA
Slivka, an Ohio native that transplanted to Mount Dora, is an award-winning impressionist painter who often takes viewers on a trip to the shoreline.  Layers of acrylic shape Slivka's often oversized landscapes and still-lifes.  Read more about Slivka.  (Booth #D103, Donnelly Street between 3rd & 4th Avenues)  ​​

---

​ROSEMARIE BROWN
Brown is the only local glass artist in the festival.  Her stained glass panels not only show her creativity, but also her ability to engineer intricate and complex works.  Her work features a variety of colorful subjects and designs.  (Booth 517 on 5th Avenue)

---

BARBARA  BOYCE
This Mount Dora silversmith creates jewelry designs in sterling silver with meticulously selected stones and pearls.  Boyce's trademark pieces have a crisp, modern aesthetic that make a contemporary statement.  ​(Booth # D108, on Donnelly Street)

---

SHARON OSTERHOLT
This Tavares painter focuses on Florida's scenic landscapes.  The subject matter is Florida's hidden places whether they are corners of parks, pastures, trails or shorelines.  
(Booth # D085, on Donnelly Street)

---

SONYA WATSON
​A resident of Eustis, this jewelry artist typically fabricates designs from sterling silver and stone beads in her nature and coastal inspired designs.  Her current mermaid collection features hand-wired chains with pearls, stones and sterling silver.
​​(Booth # D043, on Donnelly Street)
​
LINDA BEAN
Residing in Tavares, Bean primarily paints with palette knives and uses expressive colors to create her canvases of primarily landscapes and florals.  The result are vibrant paintings with rich texture and contrast. ​ (Booth #307)

Find more information about the 43rd Annual Mount Dora Arts Festival here.   For shuttle info, click here.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis,  download the area's free mobile app. ​ Free subscriptions to the monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz are available here.